4 people charged in human trafficking operation

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HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Deputies are asking for your help in catching a fifth suspect sought in a large-scale human trafficking operation across Montgomery and Harris counties. Four people were arrested on Thursday and have been charged. The man sought in this operation escaped somewhere around Bellaire Boulevard in the historic Chinatown district.

Signs still blink open at the four spas busted by several agencies including the FBI on Thursday. Three men and one women are the alleged ring leaders of one of the largest human trafficking rings between Harris and Montgomery County.

Those locations include:

- Amy Spa - 32015 Highway 249 in Pinehurst

- A parlor at 9415 Bellaire Blvd in Houston

- Foot Ways Spa - 2111 Spring Cypress Road in Spring

- Elin Spa - 5200 FM 2920 in Spring

Suspects charged include:

- Jeffrey Lee Wright, 47, of Waller

- Nianying Xie, 43, of Houston

- Thomas Tran, 58, of Spring

- Xing Shi, 39, of Montgomery County

"These are not prostitution cases, these are people who are victims of human trafficking," Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said.

Prosecutors say, in this case, they found eight victims, women who are Chinese nationals around 20-30 years old.

"It was shocking because you realize is that it was a place they could never leave there was food brought to them," Montgomery County Asst. District Attorney Tyler Dunman said. "There was a room where they would sleep and had no way to communicate with the outside world."

FOX 26 News spoke with employees from the salon alongside the Elin Spa in Spring.

"There was a bunch cars parked in the back, police cars, and there were about 3 girls pulled out," Angela Galacia said. "I came out to the front and noticed the windows were smashed in all the glass was on the floor."

Deputies are now on the hunt for Jinger Wang. They say he abandoned his car during the sting and escaped into an apartment complex.

"Once we identify him, if there is a successful prosecution, what we're hoping to do is clamp down on the trade," Ligon said. "We barely have any sexual orientated businesses in Montgomery county. We're certainly not going to tolerate human trafficking for sex cases."

Deputies hope this story will encourage any other possible victims to come forward.